The second group of pilgrims from Bashkortostan left for hadj today

author: Eugene Rakhimkulov

The second group of citizens RB left for Saudi Arabia to visit the holy Muslim places today. The first group has left Ufa on November 9.

The deputy chairman of the Clerical Muslim Dept RB Aup Bibarsov reports about 350 Muslims from Bashkortostan will go for hadj this year – almost 100 people less than in 2008. The main reasons why the number of people, wishing to visit Mecca is going down, is spreading of the virus A/H1N1 (the “pig flu”) and the economic crisis.

The Saudi Arabia’s Hadj Ministry even decided to prohibit the arrival of people, older than 65, in the country this year, though elderly people always predominated in the lists of pilgrims. For many people the travel to Saudi Arabia becomes too expensive. The cost of the hadj-missions, offered by “AIRA-TOUR” and “IDEL-HADJ” varies from 75 to 140 thousand rubles.

Other several groups of pilgrims will fly out from Bashkortostan in the nearest future: on November 14 and 19 with the tourist agency “IDEL-HADJ” and on November 14 and 16 – with “AIA-TOUR”.